Railway car construction



Sept. 26, 1944. A G, BANcRoFT RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 26, 1944. AQ G. BANcRol-'T 'RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 26A. 1944 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY C'Aligsraucfrlon A Y Company, Chicago, Ill., a

Ware

corporation of Dela- Application April 24, 1942, Serial' No. 440,279 12 Claims. (Cl. 1054-4410) `This invention relates to railway cars and partlcularly to end walls of cars adapted to haul bulk commodities, such as gondola cars and hopper cars. The walls of such cars are made of single thickness material and consequently have no lining toassist in retaining the lading.

A common type of railway car end wall is comprised of a metallic plate formed with substantially horizontal corrugations which terminate adjacent the corner posts of the car. Many newtypeA cars embody an improved end wall wherein the vertical margins of the end wall plate arerilanged on a relatively large radius and the corrugations extendat least partially around the flanges to strengthen the corner posts. Such a construction is disclosed in the patent to Jumper, etal, No. 2,185,168 of December 26, 1939. A large number of box cars have been built with end walls substantially as shown in this patent and have given satisfactory service.

The above mentioned open top cars, such as gondola cars and hopper cars, are not provided with lining and the lading is retained by the outer metallic sheathing. The provision of corrugations in the end walls creates openings between the outwardly projecting corrugations and the corner posts which permit the lading to escape into the hollow post and outthe bottom of such post.

An object of the invention is to provide an end wall which embodies the advantages of the above mentioned round corner construction and which also embodies means to prevent the escape of lading from the car.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the escape of lading as herein above described without decreasing the strength of the end wall.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a railway car showing one embodiment of my invention.

"Fig 2 is a partialsideelevation of the car shown inFig. 1.

i Fig. 3 isa'section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Figliv is a View similar to Fig. l showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a section `on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing a modied corner construction.

Fig. 8 is a partial end elevation of another modified form of my invention.

Fig. 9 isa section on line 9 9 of Fig 8.

The drawings show the usual parts of a railway'gondola car including center sill 2; striking casting 3; side sills 5; end sill y6; side chordsrB; end chord 9 and side sheathing II. The corner post members I2 extend between and are secured tothe sills and chords and the wood floor I4 is supported by the inwardly extending legs I5 of the side sills 5.

A corner post member I2 is formed with angularly disposed arms 2li-2| arranged respectively normal to the side and end walls of the car and the arms 20 2I are preferably provided with flanges 23 24, the flange 24 including a flat surface. The end wall plate 26 is formed with large radius flanges 2l on its vertical margins, the plate franges 2l bein-g secured to the flanges 23 of the corner post members and the body part of the end wall plate 2B being secured to the anges 24 of the corner post members I2 to form hollow corner posts 29.

The end wall plate 2'6 is formed with a plurality of inwardly (30) and outwardly (3|) projecting substantially horizontal main corrugations which terminate and merge into the flat portion 32 of the end wall plate 26 which portion is secured to the ange 24 of the corner post member I2 in engagement with the nat surface thereof. The curved parts of the end wall plate flanges 21 are formed with a plurality of auxiliary corrugations 33 which extend around the corners and merge into the portion 32 of the end wall plate 2B which are secured to the corner post member flanges 24. The ends of the main (30 3I) and auxiliary (33) corrugations overlap so as to transmit loads from the end wall plate 26 to the corner posts 29 and so as to cause the corrugations 30 3I to function as partially restrained beams. 'I'he portions 32 of the plate 26 into which the main (S0-3l) and auxiliary (33) corrugations merge are uninterruptedly engaged with the flanges 24 of thecorner post members I2 to prevent escape of lading from the interior of the car.

Fig. 7 shows a modified construction in which the flange 3l of the corner post member 38 is relatively wide in order to provide greater overlapbetween the main (3U-3|) and auxiliary (33) Vcorrugations and thereby strengthen the connection between the end wall and the corner post.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the corner post members I2 are similar to those described with reference to Figs. l to 3. The end wall plate 40 is formed with a plurality of inwardly (4|) and outwardly (42) projecting substantially horizontalV corrugations which terminate and merge into uncorrugated marginal portions 43 which are secured to the anges 24 of the corner post members I2. Such marginal portions 43, therefore, have uninterrupted engagement with the flanges 24 of the corner post members, thereby preventing escape of lading from the interior of the car.

Auxiliary plates 44 formed on curves of relatively large radius are secured to the corner post members I2 so as to form hollow corner posts 46 and have portions 41 which overlap and are secured to the end wall plate 40. The auxiliary plates 44 are formed with a plurality of corrugations 49 which extend around the corner of the car and terminate in interlocking relation with the end portions 50 of the corrugations 4I-A-42 in the end wall plate 40. tions 4| are thus effectively extended aroundthe corner of the car with the resultthat thrusts upon the end wall are more completely transferred to the corner posts 46 and the corrugations are caused to function as at least partially restrained beams.

Figs. Band 9 show a modied construction in which the corrugations 55 in the auxiliary plate 56 nest with and are secured to the outwardly projecting corrugations 5B in the endlwall plate 59 to more effectively secure the ends of the corrugations to the corner posts 6l and to cause the corrugations 5B to function as `atleast partially restrained beams. The corrugations 58 terminate and merge into an uncorrugated portion 62 of the end wall plate l5i) whichV is uninterruptedly engaged with and secured to thefiange 24 ofthe corner post member I2 to preventescape of lading from the interior of the car. v

The accompanying drawings illustrate the 'pre- Vferred form of the invention, though itis to be understood that the invention is not limitedv to the exact details of construction shown-and described, as it is obvious that` various modiiications thereof, within the scope ofthe claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art. Y

I claim:

l; For use in a railway car` having a corner post member; an end-Wall plate having a mar-Lv ginal portion adapted to be secured to'said member along spaced apart lines and arranged Vto form a hollow corner post; the said linewhieh is most adjacent to the lbody part of the plate being-embodied in an areafof the plate which isin flatwise engagement with a part'v of said'member to prevent escape of lading therebetween, thebody part of said plateA beingformed with a plurality of' substantially horizontalY corrugations whichmerge into said area ofthe plate, said marginal portion ofthe plate being formed with a plurality of auxiliary corrugations which merge intosaid area of the plate.

2. For use in a railway car having a corner post member;y an end wall plateV havingnamarginal portion adapted to be securedto saidmember along spaced apart lines and arranged to form a hollow Ycorner post; the said line which is most adjacent to the bodypart ofthe plate being embodied in an area of the plate which is in'atwise engagement with a part of'said-mernber to preventescape of lading therebetween, the body part of said plate being formed with a plurality ofV substantially horizontal'V` corrugations which merge into said'areayof the plate, said marginal The corrugad portion'ofthe plate being formed with a plu.; 75,'

rality of auxiliary corrugations which merge into said area of the plate in overlapping relation with said rst mentioned corrugations.

3. For use in a railway car having a corner post member; an end wall plate having a marginal portion adapted to be secured to said member along spaced apart lines and arranged to form a hollow corner post, the body part of said plate being formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which merge into the plate, said marginal portion of the plate being formed with a plurality of auxiliary corrugations which merge into the plate, said member and plate being uninterruptedly engaged along substantially the full lengths of said lines to preventl escape of lading from the interior of the car, said horizontal and auxiliary corrugations merging into a nat area of said plate embodying one of said lines.

4. For use in a railway car havin-g a corner postmember; an end wallplate having a marginal portion adapted to be secured'to said mem,- ber along spaced apart lines and arranged tof'orm a hollow corner post, the body part of saidiplate being formed with av plurality4 of substantially, horizontal corrugations Vwhich merge into the plate, said marginalY portion of the-plate-being formed with'a pluralityA of auxiliary corrugations which merge into the plate in Overlapping rela.- tion with said rst mentionedcorrugatiorxs;fsaid4 member and plate being uninterruptedlyengaged; along substantially the full lengths ,of-saidllnes' to prevent escape of lading from the interior/oi; the car, said horizontalandauxiliary cordage., tions merging into a flat area ofsaidA plateembodying one of said lines.

5. For use in a railway car'having `a corner post member having angularly disposed armsj normal respectively to -the sideandend wallsfof, Y

the car, the arm normal to said ,endwa1lhaving a nat ilange; an end wall plate having, a-flat portion adapted to besecured tosaid natnange in ilatwise engagementetherewithto prevent es,V cape of lading from the carsaid` end wall plate also having a marginal portion adaptedto be secured to the arm which isnormal to saidsidev wall to form a hollow corner post, the body part. of said plate formed with a pluralityof -substan-- tially horizontal main corrugations which termi--- nate and merge into said nat portion and said marginal portion formedrwith a pluralityor aux iliary corrugations which ,merge into said flat pox:-Y tion in overlapping kvrelation withsaid maincora rugations.

6. For use in aA railway car having. a corner post member having angularly disposed arms normal respectively to the side andend Wallsof the canthe arm normal to said end wall having a flat flange; an end wall plate. having a fiat portion adapted to be secured tn the said,A hat, ilange innatwise engagement therewithvto pre-E vent escape of lading from the car, said end wall plate also having a curved ,marginal portion adapted to4 be secured to the arm ,which is normal to said side wall to forma hollowcorner post...

the body part of said plate formedwithacplurality of substantially horizontal main corrugations which terminate and merge intofl said. Vflat portion and said curved marginal portionform'ed with' a plurality of allX'ilaIy corrugationawhich merge into said flat portion in overlappfnggohg tion with said main corrugations.

7. For 'use in a railway car having post member; an auxiliary plate adapted secured to said member along spaced anonimos to form a hollow post, an end wall plate formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which terminate adjacent a margin of the plate to form a substantially at marginal portion therebeyond, adapted to be secured to said post, said auxiliary plate formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which overlap the corrugations in said end wall plate, and means to secure the overlapping portions cf said plates together.

8. For use in a railway car having a corner Apost member; an auxiliary plate formed on a curvature and adapted to be secured to said member along spaced apart lines to form a hollow post, an end wall plate formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which terminate adjacent a margin of the plate to form a substantially iiat marginal portion therebeyond, adapted to be secured to said post, said auxiliary plate formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which extend around the curved part and overlap the corrugations in said end wall plate, and means to secure the overlapping portions of said plates together.

9. For use in a railway car having a corner post member; an auxiliary plate formed on a curvature and adapted to be secured to said member along spaced apart lines to form a hollow post, an end wall plate formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which terminate adjacent a margin of the plate to form a substantially flat marginal portion therebeyond, adapted to be secured to said post, said auxiliary plate formed with a plurality of substantially horizontal corrugations which extend around the curved part and terminate between the end portions of the corrugations in the end wall plate, and means to secure said plates together.

10. For use in a railway car having a corner post structure comprising a vertical member comprising angularly disposed arms, one of which is provided with a fiat surface; an end Wall sheet having a flat portion engageable with said flat surface substantially the width of said flat surface to prevent the escape of lading from the car, said end wall sheet provided with a vertical marginal ange, a plurality of main corrugations formed with said end wall sheet, a plurality of auxiliary corrugations formed Within said marginal ange, the adjacent ends of said main corrugations and auxiliary corrugations terminating in overlapping relation within said flat portion, said fiat portion of the end wall sheet adapted to be secured to one of said arms in engagement with said flat surface, and the other of said arms adapted to be secured to the ange of the end Wall sheet to form a hollow corner post.

11. A structure as defined in claim 10 wherein the outer ends of the auxiliary corrugations merge into said flange of the end wall sheet.

12. For use in a railway car having a corner post structure comprising a vertical member comprising angularly disposed arms, each of which is provided with a at surface; an end Wall sheet having a flat portion engageable with one of said flat surfaces to prevent the escape of lading therebetween, said end Wall sheet provided with a marginal ange havinga iiat portion adapted to be secured to the other of said at surfaces so as to prevent the escape of lading therebetween, a plurality of'main corrugations formed within said end wall sheet, a plurality of auxiliary corrugations formed within said marginal ange, the adjacent ends of said main and auxiliary oorrugations terminating in overlapping relation within said flat portion, said end Wall sheet being adapted to be secured to both of said arms, respectively, to form a hollow corner post structure.

ALFRED G.' BANCROFT. 

